Our aging population deserves better

I was very disheartened to read "Nursing Home ratings: St. Francis at No. 1; others fall" in the Feb. 20 issue of The News-Star.

The number of Louisiana residents age 85 and older is projected to grow by more than 80 percent by 2030, and this older population can be of greater risk for chronic illnesses in need of long-term care. Most prefer to receive long-term care at home; however Louisiana spends more than three-quarters of the state's Medicaid funds on institutional care. So, with so many dollars being spent, why are our nursing home ratings not all "five star" like the St. Francis Skilled Care Nursing Facility?

Our adults, in particular our aging population, deserve better! With training and resources readily available throughout the state, there is really no excuse for these long-term care institutions to have poor ratings.

There are many resources available to learn more about person-centered and quality of care. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services created a person-centered training program, the Hand-in-Hand toolkit, which is an excellent educational resource for staff in nursing homes, and includes ways to handle behaviors and how to approach resident and families.

The National Culture Change Coalition, Pioneer Network, offers resources and services at www.pioneernetwork.net. The Louisiana culture change coalition, LEADER (Louisiana Enhancing Aging with Dignity through Empowerment and Respect), champions person-centered communities where aging adults and their caregivers are valued, respected and honored. (www.laleader.org). And, the Advancing Excellence in America's Nursing Homes Campaign is a major initiative to make nursing homes better places to live, work and visit. (www.nhqualitycampaign.org).

These organizations exist to better promote quality care in nursing homes and to assist the caregivers in being advocates for their loved ones who are admitted to these facilities.

LEADER strives to bring awareness and education to those in the long-term care industry and also to the consumer. Our upcoming conference, March 18-19, in Marksville at the Paragon Casino Resort can equip staff and consumers with the tools and strategies needed in making the environment for today's elders a better place. Together, the people of Louisiana can raise their voices for choice in the quality of life in nursing home care.

The plenary speakers and topics will surely turn up the volume and inspire individuals to get their voices to resonate through the culture change transitions in the long-term care environment. The 12 concurrent sessions offer opportunities for professionals and consumers to keep apprised of changes and trends in the aging industry, including regulatory aspects of resident care and overall approaches in dementia, communication, dining and activities.

Nursing home administrators need to take the time to register for such educational and enriching events, as well as offering registration to staff members, so that this valuable information could be obtained, and thus, trickle down in the quality of resident care. It shouldn't be an option when ratings are so low.

It is passed the time for Louisiana to wake up and tend to our elderly population. We should honor this population and it needs to be reiterated over and over again that they deserve the same amount of respect and dignity as any other resident of this State. Be the voice. Project to others the importance of creating a better way for elders to live and age in Louisiana.

Dana Territo is secretary of LEADER Board of Directors and is director of services, Alzheimer's Services of the Capital Area, Baton Rouge.